Dallas loses southside lounge but gains sports bar-pizzeria combo

Dallas loses southside lounge but gains sports bar-pizzeria combo

After some rocky times, the Absinthe Lounge in the Cedars is closing on July 30, to be replaced by a neighborhood sports bar with adjoining pizzeria. The new place will be called Mac's Southside, and it will be joined by another branch of Zalat Pizza, the pizza spin-off of Vietnamese restaurant Dalat.

A spokesperson for the Absinthe confirmed that the bar would be closing at the end of July. "There's been some confusion — some are saying it's Saturday, and some are saying Sunday," she said. "We were originally told it would be through July 31, but the last scheduled event is July 30."

She said that owner Kevin Christensen was "ready for something different" and sold the spot.

Mac's Southside already has a Facebook page, where it has posted that Khanh Nguyen "of Dalat and Zalat fame" is about to come to the Cedars neighborhood.

"We've take over the Absinthe Lounge location and will be closing it down for the month of August for a full remodel," it says. "Mac's Southside will open in its place this coming September. And Zalat pizza is coming in right next door, so you can order right from our bartenders and servers until 2 am."

Both Dalat and Zalat are known for late-night hours. Mac's Southside is described as "a comfortable neighborhood bar with pool, shuffle board, darts, great drinks, awesome people, and excellent service."

Absinthe started out at South Side on Lamar but then moved in 2015 to the former Old Brooklyn Jazz Club space a few blocks away at 1701 S. Lamar St., in an effort to segue from bar to restaurant. A Kickstarter campaign was launched in 2014 to build a kitchen and outfit it with essential equipment, but it failed to draw enough donations.

In the time since Absinthe opened, the Industry Alley Bar opened two doors down, and the area now has a branch of the Alamo Drafthouse.

Absinthe will host a goodbye set by DJ C. Love, who brags that he gets to shut it down, saying, "For about 10 years, I have catered to the 30-and-up masses and this Saturday will do it for the last time."